Sounds like teen spirit: Youth Action Party will celebrate seven years

Youth Action Party will celebrate seven years

By Carole Brodsky, for The Ukiah Daily Journal.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

As a young person who was raised in Ukiah, Carter Grissom of the Mendocino County Youth Project knows firsthand the complexities faced by teens living in a rural county.

Grissom’s path took him to music. He and a group of friends founded Top Shelf – an enduring reggae-rock band that still attracts record crowds at their concerts. And it was music that drew Grissom to the Youth Project and the annual event that has become one of Ukiah’s go-to activities for young people, who more than anything need validation, safe places to have fun and unbiased recognition for who they are.

This year’s seventh annual Youth Action Party will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 3 to 8 p.m. in and around School Street and Alex Thomas Plaza. The completely free event will feature music, sporting events and competitions, art, food and more.

“In one way or another, I’ve been involved with the Youth Action Party all seven years,” notes Grissom, who has been coordinating the event since 2012. “The first year, Top Shelf was invited to perform by Bonnie Lockhart, who was the event coordinator, and Joanna Olsen, who is now the director at the Youth Project.

“One mission of Top Shelf was to provide music to our community, because we grew up here and found access to music valuable as teens. When we returned to Ukiah as adults, we wanted to continue that mission. The event started out as a really good partnership that we thought could be expanded upon. That’s how our association began, and that’s ultimately how I found myself employed with the Mendocino County Youth Project,” Grissom explains.

“During the second year, I came on as the Youth Action Party coordinator. I worked with Bonnie to produce it, moved the event to the Plaza and started the band competition. That’s when it grew its legs and became what it is today.”

Since that time, Grissom has taken over coordinating the event, which has continued to morph and grow to reflect the ever-changing needs of young people.

The Youth Action Party is sponsored by the Mendocino County Youth Project, the Mendocino Group/Brandon Kight, W Real Estate, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, the City of Ukiah, McCarty’s Auto Body, Rotary International, the Ukiah Police Department and the Arbor Drug-Free Communities Coalition.

This year’s event, as always, will focus on music, and two signature headline acts shouldn’t be missed. “Unified Highway, this year’s headliner, is a very popular and well-known reggae and hip-hop act who hail from the Bay Area and are nationally recognized,” Grissom explains.

Though contract requirements preclude naming the artists directly, a Google search will reward the reader with the storied history of the band members, one of whom produced a 2014 album that reached No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200 list for that year. They have performed everywhere from Lollapalooza to Glastonbury, and produced music for such luminaries as Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Goapele, The Grouch & Eligh, and the hip hop group Zion I, and have also created remixes for the likes of Radiohead, MGMT, Linkin Park, Beats Antique and many other artists.

“MC RadioActive is returning to the Youth Action Party. He is a world-renowned beat boxer and hip-hop MC, and we’re thrilled to have him again this year,” says Grissom.

“But the musical focus this year features our local, young talent, which is why we chose the bands that we did. We’re creating more of a festival atmosphere in terms of having music, art and sports, all downtown,” he continues.

Two of Ukiah’s most popular home-grown hip-hop musicians will be performing: Jalahn Travis and Highest James. The two young adults have substantial local followings on SoundCloud and YouTube _ currently the most widely-visited platforms showcasing up-and-coming artists.

Both Travis and James are known for their original compositions, beat-making and speaking truth to power. Their music is garnering national and even international attention. Travis, a long-time student of Keith Canova’s music school has received over 100,000 individual “listens” on his SoundCloud account, and is planning an imminent move to New York to continue pursuing his career in music.

“We’re also bringing in two of our favorite punk bands, R4ID and GrimeTime,” says Grissom. In classic punk fashion, R4ID describe themselves as a “wanna-be Nardcore teenage skate rock band, hailing from the deepcrust within Ukiah, seeking to save what scene is left.” The band is comprised of Phoenix Lewis on bass, Daniel Young on drums and Boden Vogus on guitar.

GrimeTime is a self-described Pop/Punk Band with the moniker, “Everyone Wants to Sound Grimy.”

Once again, there will be a Skate Zone and free food provided by Slam Dunk Pizza, Lalo’s, and Pure Aloha Shave Ice.

School Street will be closed to facilitate “Tournament Alley,” supported by City of Ukiah staff. “This year, we’ll be featuring a basketball tournament on School Street and tricycle races with “drunk goggles” that simulate being drunk,” smiles Grissom. There will be prizes for several events including a drinking game utilizing Gatorade instead of beer. There will be about two dozen booths on hand, many featuring student representatives from area schools.

“One of the biggest things we need to provide our youth is a sense of belonging – ways to build self-esteem and ways to help kids feel ‘a part of.’ If you feel that, you’re more likely to show up for life, today and in the future. It’s extremely important to provide our teens with fun things to do. I know that the arts, sports and music are super-healthy ways to cope with the way the world is today. Teens have it so hard. It’s nice to give them a space – a day, a festival, a time for them to forget about everything and enjoy themselves with their peers,” says Grissom.

And, Grissom continues, “It’s important for adults to support these events because youth are our next generation. It’s our responsibility to help teens learn how to take care of each other, their environment and their community. We were once teens, and we remember how it was,” he smiles.

Grissom sees a lack of motivation as one of the primary reasons teenagers fall into patterns of self-destructiveness, self-harm and depression.

“Where is it in this world that teens are getting their inspiration? Our society and community has so many downsides. Kids have a hard time pursuing what they love. The social climate and the political climate is so extreme that I think they feel helpless and a little bit paralyzed,” Grissom explains.

“That’s why these events are so important – something to bind us together rather than tear us apart. The power of being around other people who inspire you can sometimes lead a person to open their eyes and change their behavior. You’re more likely to get ‘into’ something by seeing others who are into something.

“When we come together, we see that we all have individual talents and gifts to inspire others – tools to help us continue to stay on a good path. All of us – kids, teens, adults and seniors – need to support each other in making healthy, positive choices.”

Grissom is always seeking additional event sponsorship as well as volunteers. “The more help we receive, the better event we can put together and the more help we can provide our kids. One of the best ways for people to support this event is to give teens a ride – that’s often a barrier to kids showing up,” Grissom concludes.

For more information on the 2017 Youth Action Party, visit their Facebook page or phone (707) 463-4915.